The Commonwealth's attorney is seeking the death penalty for the man accused of killing Crystal Warner, Bobby Jones

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 12:11 AM EST Dec 23, 2016

Hide TranscriptShow Transcript

WEBVTT >> YOU JUST WANT TO SCREAM OUTMURDERER. DAN: EVERY TIME THE FAMILIES OFBOBBY JONES AND CRYSTAL WARNERCOME FACE-TO-FACE WITH CRAIGPENNINGTON, IT'S EMOTIONAL.WEDNESDAY WAS THE FIRST TIMESINCE THE COUPLE'S BODIES WEREFOUND.>> YOU JUST WANT TO TELL HIM HOWAWFUL HE IS, WHAT HARM HE HASCAUSED.HE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT HE TOOKFROM US.DAN: A NEW FILING IN THE CASEAGAINST PENNINGTON MAY GET THEJUSTICE THEY HOPE FOR.THE COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY'SOFFICE HAS FILED A MOTIONSEEKING THE DEATH PENALTY FORPENNINGTON.INVESTIGATORS SAY PENNINGTONKILLED JONES AND WARNER IN JULY,TOOK THEIR CAR AND DUMPED THEIRBODIES.FAMILY MEMBERS SAY THE PAIRCONFRONTED PENNINGTON, THEIRTENANT, AT A CABIN IN CENTRALKENTUCKY OVER UNPAID RENT.THEY SAY HE SIGNED EVICTIONDOCUMENTS IN MAY.JONES' BODY WAS FOUND IN AUGUSTIN CLARK COUNTY KENTUCKY,-- CLARK COUNTY, KENTUCKY,WARNER'S LATE LAST MONTH IN BATHCOUNTY, KENTUCKY.>> WITH CHRISTMAS COMING UP, YAKNOW THE HOLIDAYS EVEN THE DAYSTHAT AREN'T HOLIDAYS, YOU MISSTHEM.YOU THINK ABOUT THEM.EVERY TIME YOU HEAR A PHONETHINK, IT'S CRYSTAL.CRYSTAL'S MOTHER MARY REEVE SAYS-- DAN: CRYSTAL'S MOTHER MARY REEVESAYS SHE WANTS JUSTICE NO MATTERHOW LONG IT TAKES.>> WE WANT HIM TO BE CONVICTED,AND WE WANT THE DEATH PENALTY.DAN: ATTORNEYS SAY THEY ARESTILL WAITING ON EVIDENCE FROMINVESTIGATIONS IN THE FIELD TOBE PROCESSED TO MOVE FORWARD.REPORTING IN FLORENCE, DAN

Death penalty sought for man accused in Florence couple's slaying

The Commonwealth's attorney is seeking the death penalty for the man accused of killing Crystal Warner, Bobby Jones

Prosecutors are seeking death for the man accused of killing a couple from Florence.

Craig Pennington is accused of shooting and killing Robert Jones, 38, and Crystal Warner, 35.

Advertisement

The families of the slain victims are hoping Pennington will be sentenced to death.

It has been an emotional year for both families. This motion is another step in their fight for justice for two people who won't be home this Christmas.

"You just want to scream out, 'Murderer,'" Becky Isom said.

Wednesday was the first time the families had seen Pennington since the couple's bodies were found.

"You just want to tell him how awful he is, what harm he has caused. He doesn't even know what he took from us," Isom said.

A new filing in the case against Pennington may get the families the justice they hope for. The commonwealth attorney's office has filed a motion seeking the death penalty for Pennington.

Investigators said Pennington killed the Northern Kentucky couple in July, took their car and dumped their bodies.

Family members said the pair confronted Pennington, who was their tenant, at a cabin in central Kentucky over unpaid rent. They said he signed eviction documents in May.

Jones' body was found in August in Clark County, Kentucky, and Warner’s body was recovered late last month in Bath County, Kentucky.

"With Christmas coming up, you know, the holidays. You know, even the days that's not holidays, you know, you miss them. You think about them. Every time you hear a phone text, or ring, you know, the first thing I think, it's Crystal," Crystal Warner's mother, Mary Reeve, said.

Reeve said she wants justice no matter how long it takes.

"There's still a lot to go, you know. We want him to be convicted, and we want the death penalty," she said.

Attorneys said they are still waiting on evidence from investigations in the field to be processed to move the case forward.

Prosecutors are expected back in court in early February to make their case for the death penalty.

Pennington is charged with two counts of murder, one count each of robbery, kidnapping, tampering with physical evidence, theft by unlawful taking, wanton endangerment, terroristic threatening, two counts of abuse of a corpse and menacing.